Video: Susana Martinez lays claim to GOP future

posted at 10:41 am on August 30, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

I wrote earlier about the Twitter reaction from the media after Condoleezza Rice’s powerful, moving speech, speculating on her future as a Republican candidate for President or VP. The conventional wisdom holds that a person who engages in a prime-time effort at a national convention (and especially one who delivers as Rice did) has a burning desire to use the speech as a springboard for a future election. That was certainly true for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, but Rice could have had the #2 slot this time, I suspect, if she truly desired it. She could have run for President this time too, or for the Senate in California against Diane Feinstein. Rice has never shown any desire for electoral office; I’d bet she might aspire to a place in the Romney administration, but even that might not appeal to Rice a second time around.

The evening did feature a woman who laid claim to the GOP future, though she didn’t get the same speculation as did Rice. New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, the nation’s first female Hispanic governor, introduced herself to American voters across the nation last night in an emotional, humorous, and powerful speech. The most affecting portion came when she told the story of how she came to realize that she was a Republican:

I fear some of our leaders today have lost the courage to stand up. What we have now are politicians. They won’t offer real plans, and only stand up when they want to blame someone else.

And I don’t say that just because a Democrat is in the White House, I was a Democrat for many years, so were my parents.

Before I ran for district attorney, two Republicans invited my husband and me to lunch, and I knew a party switch was exactly what they wanted. So, I told Chuck, “We’ll be polite, enjoy a free lunch, and then say good-bye.” But we talked about issues — they never used the words Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. We talked about many issues, like welfare, is it the way of life or hand up? Talked about size of government, how much should it tax families and small businesses? And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, “I’ll be damned. We’re Republicans.”

Martinez’ story plays into one of the compelling themes of the convention, which asks voters to reconsider their partisan affiliation. That won’t work with the Chris Matthewses of the world, obviously, but they aren’t the audience. I mean that literally; on the NBC News website, the page that lists the Wednesday night speeches at the convention doesn’t have Martinez mentioned at all. Martinez spoke to those whose Democratic leanings are more habit than purposeful, who have found themselves dissatisfied by Hope and Change, and whose core values come much closer to the individual empowerment and economic freedom of the GOP.

Her message of Todo es posible will resonate with these voters. It’s also a good description of Martinez’ future in the GOP.

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lourdes, you are a liar and incapable of backing up claims you put forward as truth, and provable, during your libelous rants.

cozmo on August 30, 2012 at 12:22 PM

Only in the twisted ‘universe’ of “cozmo” can his/her lies and bad deeds be somehow flipped to now be somehow mine, per his twisted illogic.

Cozmo lied, refused to retract, apologize and otherwise do the right thing, is now rightfully shamed and caught in the headlights so is trying vainly to make it all abouot someone else, what he’s responsible for.

Utter, horrid lies by lunatics and very bad people would persist here unchallenged had I not persisted in challenging them and disproving ugly lies to be so, unfounded rotten allegations by bad people.

I really enjoyed her speech, certainly more that I enjoyed half of the others and I personally howled when she said “I’ll be damned. We’re Republicans.”

Her point was that as many people do she had always been told she was a democrat and never questioned it but once she really started voicing her beliefs she discovered she was a Republican! LOVED IT.

I have a granddaughter that calls herself a Republican and I always smile about it. She does this because our entire family is Republican and she just assumes she is one of us. The rest of us all know that inside she is a Liberal!

SgtRed on August 30, 2012 at 12:20 PM

It was the “I’ll be damned” part that sits badly with me.

Inappropriate speech, needlessly crude, just immature speech for someone with her alleged credentials.

Up to that point, I thought hers was a good speech, then that took place, ruined her credibility for me.

I agree that her Liberal nature eeked out with that statement. As a Republican, I’m not “damned” and don’t think others are, either.

Martinez, well, was a disappointing thing to hear her say and say with such enthusiasm: she’s “damned”. OK, lady.

I don’t use “drugs”. But steebo77 seems to and certainly seems to know the names of several of them.

Why would you even write such a baseless assertion as that?

Lourdes on August 30, 2012 at 12:24 PM

.
.
Because your dizzying intellect is too much for me to handle.
I figured if I resorted to “baseless assertions”, I might win the argument that way.
But apparently you’re more than a match for me . . . . . guess I’ll sulk away, now.

I loved this speech last night especially the awakening that she was a Republican. I also posted it on my FB page.

I’ve been watching the convention on Cspan and I have to say I have enjoyed many of the speeches. I also appreciate that we have heard so many American stories of success fom these speakers. Many are children of immigrants. These are not rich old white men, not that there is anything wrong with that, but like Marco Ruio said, these people are real people real elected Republicans. They are not “token brown faces.” No wonder the MSM is trying so hard to suppress the truth that Republicans represent all races that share a love of freedom and opportunity. I think ths convention has been very uplifting. I hope some of the undecidds are watching this on cspan and not letting the media filter their information. They cannot be trusted.

Wow, you really went off the deep end there. I consider myself a strong Christian, and I didn’t even go where you went.

First, like others said, it was used as a joke, an exclamation of surprise. Get over it!

Second, we’re all damned and its only by the grace of God that some of us will not receive the judgement that we all deserve, and to consider ourselves above being damned is an elitist mindset, not a humbling one as scripture explains it.

Third, using your own arguments, how do you appeal to the common people (or common Latinos) with speeches made with an elitist bent that only a grammar-Nazi could appreciate? You really think that stuffiness will attract normal people? I appreciate the humor and thinks it works MUCH better than those stuffy “professional” speeches you crave. It’s immaterial if our ideology is “better”, if we can’t connect with normal people to explain it.

For you to imply that her message is one where you will be damned if you are a Republican requires the type of convoluted nitpicking that I would normally only associate with Chris Matthews. Get over yourself and get a sense of humor (of course, next you’ll be dryly telling us of the magnificence of your humor which I will imagine hearing in a Ben Stein monotone voice).

I also appreciate that we have heard so many American stories of success fom these speakers. Many are children of immigrants. These are not rich old white men, not that there is anything wrong with that, but like Marco Ruio said, these people are real people real elected Republicans. They are not “token brown faces.”

magicbeans on August 30, 2012 at 12:54 PM

Give or take another hundred years, if the current two-party system is still around, white men – rich or not – will be not only a minority population of the United States, but also within the Republican party.

Second that. All this fuss about the “damned?” I’ll put this simply: forest, trees.

Yes, she’s a public official, speaking in a public forum. But she was being real there. She was making a tremendsouly important statement about labels and misconceptions and talking about ideas, not regurgitating talking points. My Latino better half laughed outrageously at this line–and, believe me, we’re Mr. and Mrs. Propriety.

“We grew up on the border and truly lived paycheck to
paycheck. My dad was a golden gloves boxer in the Marine Corps,
then a deputy sheriff. My mom worked as an office assistant.
One day they decided to start a security guard business. I
thought they were absolutely crazy. We literally had no
savings. But they always believed in the American dream.
So, my dad worked to grow the business. My mom did the
books at night. And at 18, I guarded the parking lot at the
Catholic church bingos.
Now my dad made sure I could take care of myself. I
carried a Smith and Wesson 357 magnum.
Yes, that gun weighed more than I did. My parents grew
that small business from one 18-year-old guarding a bingo to
more than 125 employees in three states.
And sure, there was help along the way. But my parents
took the risk. They stood up. And you better believe they
built it.”

I find it highly amusing that people who slog through some of the nastiness in these very comboxes are having a fit of vapors over “damned”. Really? Grow up.

As dull as Romney is and as one note as Ryan is, at least we have Rubio and Martinez to look forward to one day. Good news for our kids, I think, although I doubt I’ll live long enough to see either (or both) of them in the White House.

Gov. Martinez delivered an outstanding speech, hit all the right notes and made it necessary for the race-baiting media to pretend she wasn’t there, something which should haunt them for the rest of their days, may they be few. While we on the Right tend to kneejerk and call for such a speech to spring the speaker to the top of the heap, so to speak, it is well that she remains Governor of her state for as long as they will have her. And the more states which can sustain Conservative governors, the better.

For Lourdes,

I spent more than twenty years in the U.S. Navy as a very conservative Christian, and in all that time, nobody heard me utter the slightest profanity. Yes, a sailor who doesn’t swear, and is no fan of it.

I could wish that Gov. Martinez had phrased her statement in a different way. However, my choice of not using such language is simply that, my choice. I also know that, even within a Conservative community, I am in the minority in this regard.

However, I absolutely understood the Governor’s words as she intended them, for they were exceptionally clear, and your intentional, disingenuous misread of them is intellectually dishonest and self-serving.

The obvious meaning of her statement was simple surprise to discover, through a conversation, that her personal values put her much more in alignment with the party she had, up to that time, opposed politically. The phrase she used is quite common for the expression of such surprise. I would have said something more like, “Well, how about that…” or perhaps, “Whoda thunk it?”.

You must know that this is the case. To believe that Gov. Martinez’ declaration is that she considers herself condemned for her principles, would require an utter lack of sanity, given how she has chosen to conduct herself since that point. You do know this, but choose to obfuscate, simply to draw attention away from the issue and to yourself. If you have any intellectual honesty, or at least a conscience, you should be ashamed of yourself. If you have neither, you should be pitied. Either way, your commentary has less than zero value here, since it is never designed to address a point of purpose, rather to create dissention and argument for arguments’ sake.

Two Indian-American Republican Governors (one male, one female) Two Hispanic Governors (one male one female). One Hispanic Senator from the US’s 4th largest state, soon to be Hispanic Senator from the second largest state. Two African American congressmen winning seats, not specifically redistricted favoring minority candidates. Mia Love waiting in the wings in Utah, to do likewise. This is not a country club Republican Party. All are welcome. Time for Condi Rice to run for office and to put the Democrats on notice that identity politics is so 20th century. This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party.